Those That Howl Under City Lights
by JasperWhiteWolf
Summary: supernaturalcreatures!Brophine AU is found here. The world is filled with danger, more so now that those of legend are living in the world without hiding themselves. DYAD and their cloned family help those lost in society and try to help keep the peace between supernatural and human. Rated M for later chapters.
1. The Wolves That Cried Goat

A few years after the release of information on the supernatural entities that did in fact exist in the world and those who lived beside human beings, The DYAD Institute was put together to become a safe haven for those of the supernatural. They were a community of many who focused on the protection, medical and psychological care of those in need in the supernatural community and the humans affected by them.

When young children born of part supernatural and part human began dying early in life, DYAD created a cloning program to see the effects of supernatural and human biology when they are combined. The first tests failed but when it succeeded the results were seven clones who all ended up with the supernatural gene that had been encoded in in their genome (the were gene). However, each clone received the animal that their were-surrogate mother would become.

The clones were advised of their origin from the beginning and when they reached the age of 18 they began to work with the DYAD institute to create a better life for the supernaturals out in the world. They work in the labs, in security, in finding and housing those in need, or simply by keeping tabs on other supernaturals as they live their daily lives.

* * *

Cosima sat back in her seat, fingers slipping beneath her glasses to rub sleepily at her eyes. Delphine had given up an hour ago, her head resting easily on Cosima's lap as she slept. Her blonde furred ears twitched slightly as a low rumble started in her chest only to immediately settle when Cosima let her fingers rub her head softly.

Looking down at the werewolf resting in her lap, Cosima had to smile at the sleepy twitches that happened every few moments. Delphine really was a giant puppy. She let out a little groan when she glanced at the clock and realization seeped into her bones as to why Delphine was sleeping in wolf form.

"It's the night of the full moon and exactly midnight. Just perfect." Cosima sighed and stretched, letting her bones crack with their own ache of the calling. Every were-being felt the call of the full moon but she, like her siblings, was born into the life and could completely control her inner animal spirit. Delphine, on the other hand, had been changed a few years prior. "Poor puppy still can't resist the moon call."

"Of course she can't, she's sleeping." Looking up, Cosima let a sleepy smile slip onto her lips when she spotted Tony leaning against the wall in all his wolfy glory. "You know her control is even worse when she sleeps through these nights."

"And what about you, huh wolfman?" Her tone was light, teasing as he easily lumbered his way over to them. When he kneeled down to place a tiny affectionate lick to her cheek, Cosima leaned into his warmth. He slipped an arm around her back and nuzzled his cheek against hers for a moment.

"Nah, you know how I do. Gotta let that freak flag fly sometimes." Tony pulled back after a moment with a grumble. "Alright, goat girl, let's get the puppy off to bed." Cosima shot him a look and he huffed, rolling his eyes back at her. "Cos, legit, you're gonna fall out of your damn chair. Let's just go home for the night and the science will be here tomorrow."

Cosima sighed, long and heavy, before nodding. He was right; even if she hated that the fact put that stupid smirk on his face. She wanted to kiss it away but instead, she simply helped him get Delphine off her lap and into his arms.

"Do you think she'll wake up?" Cosima's voice was slightly worried, her eyes roaming over Delphine's face. She looked so small and content curled up in Tony's massive furry body but Cosima knew better. If Delphine woke up in a full moon daze, they'd have to keep her restrained and contained. The wolf spirit inside of Delphine had been shoved inside, pressed into her from a bite she didn't ask for, and because of that it was wild. They were working on her control and most days, Delphine could keep the wolf inline. Most days, Delphine could feel how the wolf spirit connected to her and how it really was her but having to tame a spirit a person didn't grow up with was a long difficult journey.

"Let's hope not." Tony's reply was gruff, a low rumble coming from deep in his chest. His wolf knew it would be bad if she did, the full moon was the one time Delphine had almost no control of herself, and he hated restraining her until the haze of instinct cleared. "Now shift, my nerdy little goat. It'll be faster on foot if you shift and it'll give you a break from all that damn control you're usin."

A little grin hit Cosima's lips then and she stretched her arms a little. "Okay, but I'm taking these clothes off first. Delphine destroyed her outfit, again, since she was already asleep when she changed." When she got a little nod from Tony, Cosima stripped down and folded her clothes into her bag. She heard a slight appreciative rumble from behind her bringing out a low chuckle as she peeked over her shoulder. "Keep it in your fur, wolfboy."

Then Cosima took a deep breath and let go. Her shift was different. Instead of a wolf, her mother had passed down the were-gene for an angora goat. Body changing, shifting into something akin to a satyr without the human qualities, Cosima felt relief rush through her as she shook out her fur. Her dreads stayed, falling between her horns, and her glasses perched on the edge of her now elongated nose.

"There's my nerdy goat." Tony received an affectionate eye roll for that one as Cosima pulled on a long open front vest and wove her horns through her favorite beaten up beanie. Then he got pinned with a stare, one that he could read from a mile away. "What? Are you serious?"

"Tony, I will not be walking around with the only sane were on the full moon not wearing clothing." DYAD always advised were's in their animal form wear some sort of clothing to show the humans that they weren't wild and uncivilized. Nights of the full moon were the most important time to show this as some were' did lose their control. Cosima didn't want to deal with those look full of a mix of disgust and fear.

With a deep sigh, Tony set Delphine down on the couch behind him and pulled on one of the few articles of clothing that fit him like that: a pair of baggy shorts that were tight on his legs and a sleeveless flannel shirt that had seen better days. He then gently wrapped Delphine in a blanket he snagged from the back of the couch as he picked her back up.

"Are you happy now?" Cosima's smug smirk answered that question quickly.

Out on the streets, they found themselves surrounded by a mix of creatures. The DYAD Institute campus housed more supernatural beings then they really knew what to deal with and most days, it looked more like a college quad than the open yard of a scientific institution.

Cosima smiled at a few that passed them before grinning wide when she spotted a familiar spotted were-hyena swaggering her way towards them.

"Oi oi, Cosima." The goat found herself wrapped in a tight hug for a few moments, huffing through her nose when Sarah pressed an exaggerated kiss to her forehead. "How are my two weirdest clones?"

"Trying to take the puppy home." Tony's voice rang out from behind Cosima as his head nodded down to the fluffy package in his arms. "She passed out and shifted so I wanna get her settled in at home so she's not too freaked out when she wakes up."

Sarah nodded quickly before pointing to the doors. "That's sort of what I'm doin. Helena's already down in containment. I guess she shifted and forgot she had been sleeping off the last mission. Completely freaked out when she couldn't find me, Rachel had to have her locked down for a while. It's now up to me to calm her down and break her out."

Cosima's eyes widened for a moment, her hands flying into the air. "So that's what I heard!" Her clones looked at her for a moment, brows raised in an almost creepily exact manner. "Right after Delphine passed out, some guys ran past the lab and they were shouting into their phones. I figured something big was happening but then Rachel texted for me not to worry about all the noise so I dropped it. Figured I'd let her handle it."

Tony nudged her back a little before he turned to Sarah. "Not to rush this little powwow along but I'd like to get Delphine home like now." Sarah nodded and waved them off, running towards the building as Cosima shook her head in amazement.

"It's a wonder that Helena still can't keep her beast tame. I mean, I know she's a little out there but her animal spirit fits her like perfectly. You'd think she'd, like, want to control her shift more than she does."

"I dunno, babe, I think Helena just likes to feel wild. It's dangerous and she's a little crazy but it fits her in a way." Tony understood the want, the need, to be in that state. His wolf state fit him more than his human one did and he wore the fur any chance he could get. Her lack of control, however, was not something he really got but he knew that different animals gave off different feelings.

"Well whatever the reason, I wish Sarah would train her in some way. I mean-"

"Cos, babe, not that this isn't thrilling but can we like, talk and walk or wait till we get home cause uh."

Tony nodded down at Delphine who was now twitching and growling lightly in her sleep. Cosima's eyes widened after a moment and she nodded, gripping Tony's bicep with one hand as they power walked towards the apartment.

The walk was filled with a sort of tension that wasn't nearly as thick as the tension outside of their own little world. When they passed the gates of the institute and headed towards the apartment complex more towards the wooded area near the outskirts of town. Tony was never one for being stuck around a bunch of nervous humans but staying at the Institute's homes were not something Cosima wanted at all with all their time spent in the labs. The apartments built by DYAD near the woods were the perfect solution. They were inhabited by supernaturals and gave them space to run free in the trees when the need arose.

As the moved quickly through the city, people stared and gave them a wide berth. Most simply avoided them, some gave then smiles and easy nods, but a select few always pushed Tony's buttons. The comments slung towards them, the sneers, all of it pissed him of each time he walked through those streets. This time, though, he was focused entirely on the wolf in his arms and the petit goat clinging to his side.

The world was theirs to move freely through and yet humanity always seemed to want to have the upper hand. If you asked Tony, humans were more feral than any supernatural he'd met.

A soft squeeze at his side brought his gaze down to Cosima who had settled her head onto his arm, her eyes flickering to Delphine every few seconds. That was something else that no human ever seemed to understand. Those who couldn't control themselves were not exactly at fault. Delphine would get looks, fearful and worried, when the full moon came around. Their darling little scientist was full of light and she really was a big puppy even without the wolf inside of her, yet people still thought of her as this wild beast at the moons peak.

It wasn't her fault. The wolf that had bitten her had been crazed, old in age and wounded after a fight. He'd bitten her and run, leaving the poor girl frightened and bloody on the road. Delphine had already been with DYAD at that point so she knew exactly what had happened, knew what would happen to her.

She never said she hated it. In fact Delphine worked hard with Tony on her control and how to communicate with the wolf inside of her. Still, the looks and the words thrown their way got to Delphine more than they got to Cosima or Tony.

"Hey little goat." Tony's voice was a whisper, light on the wind. Cosima lifted her gaze from Delphine and focused on him instead, tilting her head just a bit in question. "What do you call a wolf who has to hide his fur from the world?"

Cosima's brow furrowed, a soft grunt escaping her nose a moment later. "What, Tony?"

"Lucky, cause he's got his two ladies to get him through his furless days."

The following bleat of laughter followed by Cosima burying her head into Tony's arm as her shoulders shook in mirth brought a giant wolf grin to Tony's face.

That grin stayed there until they wandered into their apartment and he finally set Delphine down on the bed. By the time Tony had shed his fur and changed into his usual lazy attire, his binder under a tank top and a pair of boxers, Cosima had shifted, changed, and was working on making food for them.

He walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, busying his nose into Cosima's neck. The resulting chuckle from the girl in his arms still held a slight goat like nature, one that she covered up by biting her bottom lip quickly.

"Del seems completely zonked, I left her unrestrained and just locked the doors. If she wakes up, we'll be able to contain her before she does anything." Tony was whispering, like his words might wake Delphine or disrupt their general peace.

"Well, when she does wake up we can feed her and then maybe go for a run, okay?" Cosima turned in Tony's arms, leaning in to give him a quick kiss before simply resting her forehead against his.

"Promise, ya goat nerd?"

"For my big bad wolf and my puppy? Of course."


	2. Puppy Love

"Cos? She's wakin up, babe." Tony's voice filtered through Cosima's sleepy haze from where she was curled up against his chest. Her fingers were curled in his fur and she could feel his head leaning against hers. Blinking lazily, she feels a shift and then claws gently situating her glasses back on her face.

"Thanks." Shaking herself awake, Cosima sat up and looked back towards the bedroom. They'd left the door open when they lay in the living room so Delphine could see them and smell them when she woke up. Delphine was letting out small whines, obviously realizing what kind of state she as in as she woke. Those sounds brought a slightly sorrowed look to Cosima's face that the wolf under her picked up on immediately.

Tony snuffled at her face until Cosima was laughing loudly and shoving his muzzle away, her eyes crinkled at the sides with her smile. Satisfied with her happy expression, he turned his head towards the bedroom to find Delphine standing shaking from the bed. She looked dazed but settled, walking forward a little clumsily on her paws until she was leaning against the doorframe.

"There she is. You okay, puppy?" Tony's voice was calm but rumbling, an easy show towards Delphine's wolf. His wolf would help keep Delphine's wolf relaxed and, more importantly, help Delphine keep some control.

Hazy golden eyes slowly focused on them after a breath and Delphine's expression immediately lit up. Her ears shot forward and Cosima could hear the gentle thump of her tail against the door. Her muzzle opened but only a soft puppy whine escaped when she couldn't seem to say what she wanted, her ears flattening the moment she realized.

"Hey, hey no." Cosima climbed off of Tony to go over to Delphine who immediately sat down so she could press her head into Cosima's stomach when she stood next to her. Fingers gentle scratched behind Delphine's ears until they lifted and that light tail thump returned once more. "It's okay, babe. You're in some control and that's a very good thing so don't worry about the voice. We're still working on that so maybe it'll be easier after we go get some food."

Immediately, Delphine's head pulled back and a slightly more wild expression settled into her eyes. Head tilting, she looked between the two in the room before letting out a mix between a whine and a growl.

"Hey now, puppy. We won't go hunting if you're gonna growl at us." Tony stood up and crossed his arms across his chest. Delphine dropped her eyes and nodded her head as she let Cosima help her stand back up.

Looking between the two in the room, Cosima let out a huff and stripped down to shift as well. Delphine watched her with rapt attention, tail thumping steadily against the door until she was finished. The thumping turned almost violent when Cosima shook out her fur, a soft bleat of laughter bubbling up when Delphine licked the tip of her nose.

"Yes, Delphine, we can go now."

* * *

"Are you sure this is, like, the best plan?" Cosima was sitting on Tony's shoulders, leaning almost her entire top half onto the top of his head as she watched Delphine weave through the trees in front of them.

Tony's grip on her legs tightened lightly in a gentle squeeze. "Trust me, goat babe, it'll be fine. I made sure to warn the guys that we'd have her out here for a while. It's just us, we've got this section of the woods to ourselves for a bit." He watched Delphine and nodded after a minute. "She just needs to get the hunt out of her system. She'll probably go catch a bunny or some shit."

Delphine was completely unaware of the conversation going on behind her. Her ears trained on the forest around her as her paws hit the dirt, having long ago fallen to all fours to run faster. The wind whispered through her fur, bringing with it the story of the forest. When that scent hit her hard, her eyes flashed before focusing on a dark spot just beyond the largest trees in the general area. She took off, hitting top speed without hearing the sudden panicked shout from her side.

"Tony! Where's she going!? She's fast, fuck!"

"Cos, shh, just calm down. I can still smell her, she won't get far ok?" Tony was putting effort into keeping his tone calm, especially when he lost sight of that golden fur. A was of relief hit him a moment later when he heard a low growl and then caught sight of a flash of warmth in the darkened leaves. "There she is, just ahead. She found something."

Cosima could hear the confusion in his voice and she sat up straight, leaning forward with her hands bracing on the top of his head. "Holy watershed. Is that a fuckin.. buck?"

"The puppy went and got a buck, well damn." The awe in Tony's voice easily bled into pride and Cosima could practically feel him puffing up at the chest from her perch.

When Delphine trotted back to where Tony and Cosima were standing, she dropped the deer in front of them with a big wolf grin. Her entire front was colored red and her paws were covered in mud but she looked positively pleased. Barely able to restrain herself, Delphine looked at them with bright puppy eyes and yipped.

"Yea, babe, you did good." Tony's voice was incredibly affectionate, the pride growing when she hopped up a little and let out a happy howl.

Cosima gulped, the sound settling warm in the pit of her stomach. "Alright wolf pack, pick up your kill and eat or bring it back with you. We need to get you cleaned up, puppy."

Completely oblivious to the meaning hinted in the words, Delphine happily ate as quick as she could before letting Tony lead her back towards the apartments, tail easily thudding against each tree they passed as it wagged furiously.

* * *

Delphine was backed into the corner, fur standing up as she tried to curl up into a small ball. Her eyes danced back and forth, trying to figure out who to watch as they closed in. Lip pulling back in a tiny snarl, it fell when she saw the snarl directed back towards her. With a tiny whimper, she pressed in closer to the wall as she closed her eyes.

"Delphine!" Cosima's hands were on her hips as she frowned down at her now soaked shirt while Tony tried to pry the other wolf away from the wall. "I just changed! Literally in all ways."

Once they'd arrived home, Cosima has shifted back and gotten dressed while Tony wrestled Delphine into the bathroom. Their puppy was filthy and dripping deer blood and Cosima was not about to allow that shit onto her bed.

They'd gotten as far as filling the tub and putting Delphine's back feet into it before she freaked and kicked out, fleeing to the corner while Cosima wiped herself down with a towel. Now Tony was trying to keep his wolf in line while fishing Delphine out from her corner.

"Babe, please, come out of there."

"She's not gonna move, just like more Tony." Cosima sighed at the almost sad look her gave her at that. "Look, you can keep her in line when she's crazy but right now her wolf is like a fuckin puppy. They're both gonna freak with big bad wolf lumbering over her."

Tony nodded a second later, realizing what Cosima was saying. "Ok, you get her into the tub then. I'll hold her still while yo get her cleaned up and then we can let her go."

"She's gonna flip her shit when we let her out of this bathroom." Cosima groaned, settling her head in her hands.

"I have an idea for that." Tony grinned wide enough to flash his silver fang. "We can just get her baked. Like, it calms human Delphine right the fuck down so why wouldn't it calm her wolf down too."

Cosima leaned forward and kissed Tony's cheek, her arms hugging him around the neck for a moment. "That's both brilliant and something I am so down for." Stepping back, she waved her hands about for a moment. "Now move, it's my turn to go puppy fishing."

Tony backed out of the way, bumping into just about everything in the process before settling next to the tub. He put his hands up and nodded at Cosima. "Take it away, babe."

With a deep calming breath, Cosima settled in front of Delphine. She didn't move until golden eyes peeked out to meet her own. A little smile pulled at her lips as she scooted a little bit closer. "Delphine." The gentle use of her name had the wolf in front of her uncurling slightly. "It's okay, puppy, come here." Sliding backwards just a bit, Cosima tapped her thighs and gestured for Delphine to move forward.

Little by little, Delphine crawled forward until her head was settled on Cosima's lap. Fingers slid through wavy fur, brushing back Delphine's curls as she leaned down to kiss her nose. "Now come on, Delphine, we need to get all this gunk off of you." When she got a whimper in response, Cosima leaned down and hugged Dephine tight until that tail thump started up. "Please? If you do this, then we can go cuddle on the couch."

The bathroom was silent for a beat until Delphine let out a long defeated huff and moved to step into the tub. Cosima did a tiny victory dance before going over to her two giant puppies. Tony sat back, keeping his paws loosely around Delphine in case she decided to try to run, while Cosima started to pour water over Delphine's fur.

It took two hours, three different shirts, one bottle of shampoo, a destroyed rubber duck, and six towels before Delphine was clean and everyone was dry.

Cosima wandered out of the bathroom sporting her third clean shirt to find Tony, having shifted back and dressed, sitting with Delphine's head resting on his legs while her tail went wild. Her glasses cleared the scene to reveal the ham he was sharing with her. She leaned back against the wall to watch the two for a few quiet minutes, smiling to herself with each chuckle that pierced the air.

She slipped into the bedroom to grab the pipe Tony packed for her and the joint she had rolled earlier before almost bouncing back into the living room. Cosima nudged Tony's shoulder to catch his attention, squealing when he snatched her around the waist to pull her down to his lap. Delphine had sat up at her squeal and was not leaned forward, licking Cosima's face.

"Tony! Delphine!" Cosima was giggling wildly at them both, waving her full hands to push them aside so she can settle in between them on the couch. She handed everything to Tony before turning to Delphine. "Puppy, you lay on my lap okay? We're gonna do something to relax."

Delphine's tail was going wild, her body wiggling a bit as she settled partially on the couch and partially on Cosima. Tony waited for them to settle before he turned slightly so Cosima could snuggle into his side as he handed her the bowl and lighter. When he saw she was settle in and pulling in smoke, he snatched the lighter back for a moment to light his joint.

As they both let the feel of that first hit settle into their lungs, Delphine watched them curiously. The human part of her knew what was happening but the wolf was fairly confused. It only grew worse when Tony looked at her seriously and blew smoke right at her nose. Her face scrunched up a little and then she sneezed a tiny little puppy sneeze. Everything froze for a moment before Tony met Cosima's eyes and smirked that damn smirk as she bit her lip to hold in her giggles.

After every inhale, Cosima would watch as Tony leaned forward to blow smoke in Delphine's face and then she'd burst into tiny giggles at the little faces she made and the puppy sneezes.

Then on one blow of smoke, Delphine snapped her jaws slightly and Cosima lost it. She nearly dropped her bowl, head falling back against the back of the couch as her body shook with free laughter. It dissolved into goat like sounds, bleating peals of laughter as Delphine kept trying to eat the smoke blown her way.

The morning saw then still on the couch, Tony laying on his back with Cosima leaning back into him and a now human Delphine curled up on her.

The blonde had shifted back sometime in sleep and opened her eyes to a blanket thrown over her back. Blinking at the sunlight, she had to smile at the two sleeping clones in front of her. She couldn't remember everything from the previous night, she never could really remember nights of the full moon, but those two never let anything bad happen to her.

Cosima shifted under her when she lifted a hand to trace the line of her jaw, a sleepy smile forming on her lips. "Hey."

"Hello, ma chérie." Delphine's voice was scratchy and soft but Cosima was happy to hear it. An entire evening with a silent Delphine never did settle well with her.

"Come closer, babe." Cosima pulled Delphine up a little closer, not settling back until Delphine had nuzzled her head into her neck. "More sleep."

Delphine let out a tiny content sigh and let her eyes slip closed once again. Resting with her loves did sound like the best idea in the world in that moment after all.

* * *

**This chapter was more just to show the dynamic between the three of them when Delphine is stuck in her wolf form. Next chapter will be more human antics and will show some interactions with others in Clone Club!**


	3. Beast Of Burden

There's a soft breeze hitting the trees in the early morning light, it shifts the leaves until they fall and hit the now bloody ground. A cough rattles out of a sunken chest, claws digging into the dirt in an attempt to find some sort of anchor. The beast is crazed, wide eyes glancing in every direction as they try to find a cause, a reason for its injury. Lost in the madness now overtaking its mind, it doesn't see that there is no wound. Instead, blood drips from pale lips with each rough cough that shakes its large body.

Heavy paws pound against the dirt as it takes off, weaving through the trees as best it can. Patches of bloody fur catch on tree branches and a clear liquid sprays the ground in bursts, death in the form of a venom the beast can no longer control.

Out in the forest, animals flee from a hunter that's lost in a sickness.

In the city, no one is aware of the darkness brewing.

It's half past noon when Tony rolls himself out of bed. His head is swimming slightly with the after effects of the last night of the full moon and he presses a sympathetic kiss to Delphine's temple, knowing she'll feel a hell of a lot worse than him once she wakes up. Stretching out a bit, he smirks before kissing Cosima's head too, smirk stretching into a smile when she curls a little more into his now vacant spot.

The apartment is quiet, all noise coming from the kitchen as he cracks open an energy drink and tries to make some breakfast for when his ladies wake up. There's a sort of peace, stillness in the moment that has him closing his eyes as he leans against the counter.

It's in that early morning peace that he immediately senses something is wrong. His nose twitches, muscles get a little tighter, and he does a quick visual sweep of the apartment. Nothing is different, not a thing is out of place. Tony can hear the soft breathing coming from the bedroom, a gentle rustle of sheets and he can hear the bacon in the pan behind him sizzle on the flame. Shaking his head, he tries to ignore it. There's three weres in that house and he needs to make sure Cosima and Delphine eat before leaving for the lab. If he doesn't make sure they do, no one will and they'll forget and no one needs to deal with starving scientists.

He turns his back to the apartment, focusing on the window above the stove as he cooks instead. There's something out there, an ominous kind of mystery surrounding the otherwise innocuous morning. It has him on edge, has his wolf stirring nervously beneath the skin.

There's a noise behind him, a light hum and then a warm body snuggled against his back. Calm washes over him as hands wrap around his middle and a kiss is pressed to his shoulder.

"You're thinking too loud, isn't that our job?" Cosima's sleepy voice drifts up over his shoulder where she's tucked her head. A yawn spills from her lips as he flips off the stove so he can turn in her arms, her head moving fluidly to nuzzle into his neck instead.

"I thought you were still asleep, goat girl, I was thinking enough for all three of us."

Tony's eyes cut to the open bedroom door, a gentle smile touching his lips when he hears Delphine's deep and steady breathing. "What time are you guys heading out today?"

Cosima finally pulls herself out of his warmth long enough to steal his drink, tucking into his side to sip at it. "I think I told Rachel we'd be in at like two today. She knows with Delphine our mornings after full moon nights are a little slow so I figured we could sleep in a bit before heading in."

"Good thinkin, Cos." Tony's eyes focused from the way Cosima's hands swam through the air as she talked back out the window, the side view this time. He was distracted, his wolf whimpering and clawing to be let out. It wanted to hunt, to find out what was out there making the peace of the day seem so tainted.

Cosima noticed the way his eyes didn't entirely focus on her words, the way he seemed to cook on reflex instead of thinking on his actions. Delphine noticed as well when she finally stumbled sleepily out of the bedroom. It was like she could feel something too, her shoulders were tense and Tony could see the way her hands would fidget every few moments.

"You doin alright there, puppy?" Tony kept his tone light and soft as he kissed the side of Delphine's neck, sliding his hands along her hips to keep her still as she waited for Cosima to get dressed. He felt the way her body relaxed into his touch, felt how her wolf slowed along with his.

"I don't know what is wrong" Her words were short, stilted and filled with a cautious fear. Delphine turned her head to kiss the top of his before turning into his arms for a hug. She melted into his hold, letting him squeeze her tight as if to try to give her some of his strength.

"You'll be alright, babe. Just try to relax, ok? There's nothing for you to worry about."

He pulled Cosima aside as they were heading out the door, looking her straight in the eyes to make sure she gave him her full attention. "Keep Delphine busy today. Something's up, both of our wolves can feel it."

"What do you mean? I can't feel anything like that." Cosima's brow furrowed, not incredulously but more in a genuine confusion. She never did like how her goat couldn't sense the same things their wolves could.

"Just keep an eye on her and the other clones. You're the only one who doesn't have a predator soul, you feel other things that we can't but this time it's.. It's something bad, Cos. I need you to keep an eye on her and tell Sarah to keep an eye on Helena."

"Okay, I will. Okay." A quick nod had Tony relaxing once again, a quick breath leaving him. "You're really freaked out aren't you?"

He leaned in to give her a quick kiss, tugging Delphine in for one as well before finally shrugging. No need to make her worry more than she already obviously was. "I'm going to try to find out what's going on."

Tony watched Cosima hug Delphine's arm as they walked away from the apartment, watched Delphine lean her head down on top of Cosima's. They walked easily, this cuddled dance well learned. It brought a genuine smile to his face for a moment, seeing those two so calm as they moved down the road.

Once they were out of sight, he felt his wolf clawing at his mind once again. There was something wrong; a vile taste in the wind that he knew wasn't actually there. He needed to find out what it was.

The walk down to the edge of the woods was quick and quiet, his mind too preoccupied to notice some of the tense bodies around him. Predatory supernaturals all feeling the same thing; there was a shifting in the wind and it wasn't good.

At the edge of the trees, Tony took a deep breath and let the wolf take a little control. His eyes held a golden glow as he scanned the forest in front of him, teeth and claws lengthening as a short growl bubbled in the back of his throat. A scent caught in the wind, perking his head to the right to follow it. His ears perked when he caught a light noise, a panicked rustle that smelled distinctly of terror.

Slipping off his jacket, Tony walked forward into the shade under the trees. He stripped down, tucking his clothes into a little nook in the biggest tree by the edge of the woods. The spot was his favorite storage place and now he was glad he had it. Inside he kept his emergency phone, making sure it was tucked safely under his clothes in case he needed it when he got back.

Then he shed his human skin. Falling forward onto all fours, he let his shape shift and contort until he was covered in a thick layer of fur and his bones settled back into place. Shaking himself out, a low gruff sigh slipped out of his muzzle.

As he lifted his head, Tony kept his front paws on the ground. This would go a lot faster if he kept to all fours.

His paws hit the ground running, letting his head stay low to keep on the scent trail. Something in the trees was sick, something was leaking it's darkness into the earth. It made Tony's stomach turn. He turned, swift as the wind to keep up with the soft noise in the distance. It's getting closer, a strange sort of whisper full of that scent of fear, leading him straight to it.

When Tony first spotted the deer, he was confused. It was convulsing violently, making those little grunting whimpers he had heard at a distance. Foam was collecting at its nose as it moved against the ground, its eyes wide and full of panic. Looking around, he quickly moved towards it to see if he could see what had caused this.

A small puddle near the deer's head caught his eye. It looked like water but was thicker, barely moving when a leaf fell from the tree above onto it. Sniffing the air lightly, he snarled and shook his head at the vile scent from the liquid. It smelled like death.

He swiped some of the liquid onto a stick, making sure to keep it far from his body as he stood to make the trek back to the apartment. The plan was to have Cosima and Delphine analyze whatever the hell it was he had found.

Tony didn't get more than a few feet when a roar shook the ground so deep he felt it in his bones. Flipping around, Tony caught sight of a large body stampeding straight for him. The things tail lifted and showed a spike at the end practically oozing that liquid he'd swiped onto the stick.

"Manticore." Tony's jaw dropped open for a moment before he dropped back down and took off running full speed. The beast behind him was crazed, lusting for blood. He'd met a manticore before; mostly they kept to the high mountains to keep from prying human eyes. They were rare, most had been killed off centuries ago and now they kept to themselves. Once a fearsome breed, they were few and peaceful as they could be.

This one seemed to want his head. Its tail was held high, dripping its neurotoxic venom in intense amounts. The fur left on the manticore's back was matted with the venom, its face contorted into something more feral than anything Tony had ever encountered.

Then it stopped. Tony swerved around a tree just in time for the manticore to crash into the ground, its body heaving with great shuddering coughs. It looked panicked now, paws clawing at its throat as blood bubbled over its lips. Now it stared at Tony as if asking for help, some sort of clarity peeked through the insanity in those eyes and he threw his head back to let out a loud, deep howl.

It was answered moments later, a howl farther away and he kept it up. Every few minutes he'd toss his head back and howl, eyes watching the manticore as it lay collapsed on the ground. By the time another shifter from their apartment complex got there to help, Tony's phone in hand, the beast was dead.

After recruiting the other shifter to help him drag the manticore back to the edge of the woods, Tony dialed Cosima's number with his claw and paced the forest floor. He leaned against a tree with the phone balanced on his shoulder, head tilted down towards the device. Calm rushed through him when he heard Cosima's voice through the speaker.

"Tony? Hey are you okay? We heard like the echo of all howls and we could tell it was you what's happening?"

Delphine's voice filtered through as well a moment later, bringing a toothy smile to his face. "Cosima! Let him speak, he is the one who called you."

"I'm alright, Cos. I think somethin's goin down though. There's a dead manticore out here."

"Are you serious? How did it get down here?"

"I dunno but it chased me for a while then it fell down and like.. Choked on its own blood. It was outta its mind, babe. Hard core crazy."

He could hear rustling over the line and then the passing of the phone. "Merde." Delphine's voice was whispered across the line. "What did you say, Tony? She's.. Cosima! Stop! She's getting things together to leave?"

"No! No, Del, tell Cos I'm bringin this shit into the lab I just need a van to meet me at the trees."

"Cosima! Did you hear him?" Tony couldn't stop the dramatic eye roll that hit him then when he heard Cosima's sigh and the following thud of her bag hitting the ground again. "I'll send a car for you, mon amour."

"Thanks, babe."

Tony hung up the phone and let his head fall back against the bark. It scratched beneath his fur, giving him an anchor for his thoughts. That feeling from the morning was all around him, the unease and that vile smell. It surrounded him like a blanket, making him feel hot and unsettled. Something was going very wrong here and Tony didn't like the smell of it one bit.

"Okay." He looked up to nod at the other wolf. "Let's get this thing back to the complex, the geek monkeys are gonna want to check this shit out."


	4. Breathe In

"Wake up you lazy wolf!"

Tony yelped a little when a hand smacked the top of his head, his ears splaying out as he yawned and blinked sleepily up at Cosima. Delphine was tucked completely into his side, her head using his shoulder as a pillow. She's apparently fallen asleep after sitting on the floor with him, his muzzle resting on her legs after he'd curled his body around her.

Narrowing his gaze, he tilted his head slowly at Delphine. "How come I'm lazy but she's just fine?" He kept his voice low, soft so he didn't wake her. Cosima's gaze had softened when she looked at the blonde, her lips pulling into a smirk when she looked back at him.

"Because you came in here, dropped off a body, and then took a nap. Delphine has been working her butt off, even with all the full moon business." Cosima's brow lifted slightly, pinning Tony with a look that had him sighing in defeat.

"Well why am I awake now if I'm still going to be her pillow?"

Cosima sighed and sat down on the other side of his head, letting him settle onto her lap as she leaned into his fur so they wouldn't wake Delphine. "I can't do anything with the manticore until they get all the toxic material off of it. I was able to look at it, get the lab set up, and get my samples into testing but now I have to wait." She looked down to see him staring up at her, eyes still a little lost. "I got bored and I didn't want to be the only one awake."

Tony chuckled softly, nuzzling a little into Cosima's stomach to make her laugh too. She hugged her arms around his head and he closed his eyes, letting the warmth from both girls seep into his fur. "Not that I'm not happy to spend time with you, Cos, but why didn't you jus go play with the spaz?"

"I was going to but I couldn't find her. Sarah thought she was in her usual room but then she had to run off to get Kira so I didn't get a definite answer. No one knows where she is apparently." Cosima shrugged a little, apparently unaffected by this information.

Tony, however, was immediately worried. It was a normal occurrence for Helena to poof off to wherever the hell she felt like when there were no jobs for her to complete but this time was different. That bad feeling had never quite left him, even after bringing back the manticore and shaking off its stink.

Helena was his running partner, Cosima's favorite playmate when she got bored in the lab and Delphine's biggest helper when she lost control since she knew all about that feral feeling. She was close to all their hearts and normally, they wouldn't worry too much about her. Helena was the resident badass when it came to handling things with her assassin title and her known reputation for going a little feral every once and a while.

"I need to find her." Tony's words were sudden, full of concern and haste. He licked his muzzle, already shifting to stand up. Delphine whined a little, hands digging into his fur enough to cause him to freeze mid-movement.

"Whoa, whoa," Cosima stood and settled her hands on Tony's cheeks, forcing his bulky head to look at her. She blinked at the intense look in his eyes, something wild stirring there. "Tony it's okay, just calm down and tell me why you need to go find her right this second."

The soothing balm that came from Cosima's touch, her voice sliding over him like silk, had Tony settling back down a little bit. "I still have that feeling, babe. It's still there like a bad taste in the back of my throat." His ears pulled back, twitching a little when Cosima started to gently pet his head and neck. "If Helena is missing, even if it's just a usual run, I don't want to find out later that something bad happened to her. I just need to know where everyone is right now, yea? I know Del can feel it too, she's being extra clingly in her sleep, like even more than usual. I don't mind, I like it really, but I know why she's doing it."

Cosima wrapped her hand around Tony's muzzle to get him to stop talking, rolling her eyes affectionately. He got just like her when he was nervous and trying to explain it to them, incredibly rambly. Anyone else just got silence or an irritated eye roll but Tony always tried to explain himself to his girls. "Okay. Help me get Delphine on the couch and I'll take a nap with her while you go find Helena."

Tony nodded, slowly shifting to be able to lift Delphine up and onto the couch. He watched her curl up on her side, brow furrowing sleeping as she tried to find his warmth again. It pulled at his heart the way she whimpered a little disgruntled puppy noise, her hands trying to find him. She settled when Cosima slipped up behind her, rolling her over so she could tuck her head into her neck. Delphine let out another whimpered sigh before she snuggled tightly into Cosima, her hands now clutching her shirt instead of Tony's fur.

"Is she going to be okay, Tony? I've seen her tired from working on the moon before but this.. she's just so exhausted." Cosima's expression was tense, worry flashing through her eyes as she nuzzled into Delphine's hair. Her arms wounds around the blonde as Tony brought a paw up to gently rub her shoulder.

"She'll be okay, Cos. Seriously. This is new to her, having to feel all the things the wolf can sense when something this wrong is in the air. It's not a normal feeling, not when it's this intense. She doesn't know how to handle it this soon after a moon." He sighed, straightening to stretch his back out a little. "Just keep an eye on her, little goat, the puppy will be fine." Tony stuck out his tongue and winked at her, smirking when she rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't you have a hyena to find?"

Deep in the woods, paws skirted across the dirt quiet as a ghost. Her fur definitely suggested a spirit of some kind as she wove through the branches near the ground. Helena's stripes hid her slightly as she ducked down but the bright white nature of her fur gave her away easily. So she dirtied herself, rolling in piles of dirt and leaves until she could blend into the environment as best as possible. A slightly larger than human striped hyena was not exactly easily hidden in the first place.

Shaking out her mane, Helena sniffed at the air as she leaned back on her paws. Running on all fours was her preferred method, her human stance still feeling a little too off to her when shifted. She could feel it, that putrid disturbance tainting her home. It was everywhere, lingering in the air and seeping into the dirt. The smell burned her nose and the feel of it stung at her paws like stepping on a bed of thorns.

The woods were quiet, too quiet, and Helena bared her teeth into the wind. Not good, not good at all. Taking off with the wind once more, she let the rush of air shift through her fur. It led the way, whispering to her all the secrets of the trees.

There was something wrong in the world, something dark and vicious dripping into their lives. A scent had her faltering on her paws and freezing. Something familiar that sent a hint of fear into her heart. Her head whipped around, trying to find the source. The scent was thin, old by a few hours, but it had her heart thundering in her chest.

_Tony._

Lifting his head into the wind, Tony tried to figure out which way Helena had gone. He's spent the past hour tracking her down only to find him back at the damn woods. Stepping through the trees slowly, he tried to pinpoint her. She usually coated herself, blending in with the scent of the trees before going off on a run. Helena was tricky, quick and hidden.

He tried to be as quiet as her but his paws were easily twice the size of hers. Large, clumsy and not so hidden; Tony cursed as he heard another twig snap under foot. Deep into the trees now, he had no idea what to expect after the events of the morning. If the manticore hadn't been alone, he may very well be in for another chase. Still, he needed to find Helena, especially if there were more beasts hidden in the shadows. Helena could take care of herself, he knew this, but his wolf was in protect the pack mode. He needed to find her to make sure.

Perking his ears, he tried to find a sound; leaves under paw, the shifting of a tree, or even the wind hitting something solid. He was about to give up and move on when he caught it. A slight scent, mud and leaves but with a hidden musk that lingered ever so soft under the wood tones was drifting on the wind.

Looking around, he tensed. That could be Helena or it could be something else tainted by whatever had infected that manticore. He couldn't pick up Helena's scent per say but she never did smell quite the same day to day. She was a master at hiding herself after all.

He caught a flash of white and then a body slammed into him, nearly knocking him down to the ground as he felt a head nuzzling at his cheek. It took him a moment to snap out of his sudden attack mode but when he did, his snarl fell into an easy wolfish smile. His arms wrapped around Helena's smaller fluffy body, his paws shifting through her mane.

"Hey, Stripes." Tony can feel Helena letting out little snuffling sounds, obviously trying to scent if he's been hurt in anyway. "I'm alright, kid, calm the sniffing." He chuckled, licking her cheek when she pulled back a little. "Damn you're dirty, not as bad as usual though. In a hurry were you?"

Helena nodded, tilting her head at him, the mass of curls her mane turns into at her head falling about her muzzle in a messy wave. Her ear twitched and she looked around quickly, lips pulling back into a snarl. It settled a little when Tony settled a heavy paw on her shoulder.

"Its okay, the scent is old. I already killed the sick dude, he's at the lab with the babes." Tony watched as the feral look in Helena's eyes softened, falling back into the gentle if not fragile look she had when dealing with him. Next to Sarah, he had the easiest time handling Helena. If she was around Sarah, she was all about Sarah but if the other hyena wasn't present, Helena clung to Tony. She loved Cosima and Delphine as well but she had a tiny bit of a soft spot for the big wolf.

"C'mon, Helena, lets head back ok?" That startled her into action, she stumbled back a little until she was back on all four paws. Her head shook immediately as she backed around Tony to nudge him towards the woods instead of the city. "Whoa! What're you doin, Stripes?"

She let out a frustrated breath before stomping her front paw. Then she was off, running for the trees. She heard Tony curse behind her before he was close on her tail.

Tony didn't know what he was doing but he knew better than to question Helena. Her instincts were even sharper than his and if she knew something, he needed to find out what it was. The sound of paws hitting the dirt and branches being noisily bulldozed through were the symphony that hit his ears, breaking through the eerie silence of the woods.

Helena led him through the trees and up the biggest hill through the main clearing, her eyes wide and watchful. She stopped every so often to make sure he was still close before she finally stopped at the top of the hill, dancing on her paws a little to get him to hurry up to her.

"Okay, okay." He panted as he reached the top of the hill, his head handing a little low before he shook it off. Helena looked scared, a rarity in itself but this look was something new, something more than feral. She was practically trembling as she nodded off farther into the woods and he moved to stand next to her, pit in his stomach clenching painfully when he saw what she saw.

The animals were panicked in some way, moving about erratically through the trees. At first he thought the manticore toxin reached farther than he previously assumed but then he saw it. In the middle of the trees at the bottom of the hill lay a body, long and curled up on itself. It was thin, twisted in an unnatural way with a pool of something dark under it. He couldn't make it out completely from the height they were at but the sight made him swallow thick.

Helena grabbed at Tony's paw, tugging him down to her level. He sat on the ground, nodding gravely as he rubbed his face.

"Yea, kid, it's dead. Really dead, there is no way that thing is even remotely living." Looking over at Helena, he sighed and licked his muzzle. "Did you find any more in there?"

She shook her head, leaning her head into her paws as she sat in a way that mimicked Tony. He had to smile slightly at that. Hyena Helena acted kinda like wolf Delphine did when she was calm, almost like a pup but Helena was more childlike.

Nodding slightly, Tony let out another sigh before standing up. "We better get back, tell the others there's another body out here, yea?" He waited for Helena's agreement before he cracked a grin, bravely puffing out his chest until Helena let out a bark of a laugh. "C'mon, I'll race you back to the lab."

There it was that glint of excitement in her eyes. Helena let out a little growl before taking off like a bullet, Tony trailing after her with a howl.

They could worry when they got back, when they were questioned and prodded for a location. For now, though, they simply needed to run.


	5. Breathe Out

Rain softly caressed Delphine's cheeks as she stood outside the front doors of the institute. Her hands clutched at the worn leather jacket hanging loosely from her shoulders as she tipped her head back and closed her eyes. Tony's jacket had been lying on the couch when she'd woken up. The wolf inside her had stirred violently once she was awake, immediately sending the filth that was starting to saturate the air. So she'd taken the jacket, gently maneuvered out of a still sleeping Cosima's arms and went outside to try to breathe past the air in the lab. The body down a few levels from their lab was tainting the air in the whole building according to her wolf senses.

The breeze outside had settled the beast in her bones, the rain cooling her heated skin down as the agitation died down slightly. The scent was still there, clinging to every single thing in the city, but there was enough fresh smells mixing outside to calm the wolf enough for Delphine to keep complete control.

Enough control that she could smell Cosima when she was getting close, the easy measure of her footsteps easily ringing through Delphine's ears. A smile twitched at her lips when her senses locked onto her tiny girlfriend, spreading into a lazy grin when warm hands settled on her hips and a kiss pressed against the back of her neck.

"You left me alone on the couch." Cosima's voice was scratchy, still heavy from sleep as she nuzzled her head between Delphine's shoulders and hugged her arms around her middle. "That wasn't very nice."

Delphine chuckled softly, turning in Cosima's hold so she could wrap her up completely, sighing contently when her head tucked into her neck. They shifted, subtly and completely in tune, until they were completely pressed together in each other's arms with Tony's jacket now wrapped partially around Cosima as well.

"I am sorry, Cherie. I needed to get some air." Delphine moved one hand to rub Cosima's back, eyes fluttering at the gentle exhalation of air against her skin when she hummed a sigh in response. "Tony called." Cosima peeked out from Delphine's neck enough to quirk an eyebrow, obviously telling her to continue. "He's leading a team out into the woods with Helena to recover a second body. He said it was, uhm…" She bit her lip, trying to find the correct term as to how Tony described it without using his language. "Disturbing, to say the least."

Cosima nodded slowly, settling her forehead against Delphine's neck while moving one hand up to grip at her shirt. "Did he give a time frame for this? Or are we just like waiting?"

"He said the trip back into the woods with a team would take quite a while. We are supposed to just wait but he also said to go home if we are not needed here. Rachel approved, she doesn't want us exposed to whatever this is for long. She has already gone home, Sarah as well."

The news that all the other clones that had been working that day had left already was a little startling to Cosima but she understood why they did. This was alarming; especially for those with hunters in them, and her clones all had predators in their souls.

"What would you like to do?"

With a tiny yawn and a resolute decision in her head, Cosima moved to hug her arms around Delphine's neck. Leaning back slightly, she caught the wolf's gaze and smiled softly. "Delphine," Standing on her toes, Cosima pressed a feather light kiss to Delphine's lips, smiling at the little whine that resulted from the touch. "Take me home."

Out in the forest, Tony was having less fun in the rain that was beginning to pick up into a rather heavy storm. He was drenched, his fur heavy on his body as he trudged along after a completely impatient Helena. She kept running ahead before circling back to growl at him to get him moving along, stomping her paws when he simply kept moving at the same speed.

It took a solid three hours for the team to haul their gear out into the woods, gather the body, haul their gear onto Tony's back so they could carry said body, and get everything back to the institute. By the time everything was settled back in the labs, Helena had shifted back and shot him a grin as she turned to leave the lab to go back to her room.

"I will see you, Брат." Her grin was too wide for his taste at that moment but he couldn't help but lean forward to pull her into a hug. When Helena finally wiggled around enough for him to let her go, he stuck his tongue out at her with a nod.

When Tony finally made it home, he could barely produce a smile for the tangled mess on the couch that was his girlfriends. Delphine was reclined back with Cosima laying on top of her, their limbs intertwined as Delphine's hand rubbed Cosima's back. Cosima's head was buried in her neck, seemingly too preoccupied to greet Tony, even as Delphine's movements stopped so she could smile and wave at him.

Tony spared her a twitch of a grin, shifting back with a grunt before stretching his arms up and back. He trudged off towards the bathroom with a mumble, running a hand through his tangled hair to let out the braids Delphine did for him after his last shower. The door was left open as he started the water, stepping into the shower once steam started to fog the mirror.

Delphine frowned softly from her spot on the couch, her hand moving to lightly squeeze the back of Cosima's neck. "Cherie," The soft call had Cosima lifting her head, a slight smirk on her lips at the redness of Delphine's skin where she had been. Settling her head instead on Delphine's chest, she peered up at her with a quirked eyebrow. "We should go see if he is alright. He seemed a little.." Delphine shrugged one shoulder, a sly grin starting to form. "Tense."

Cosima broke the façade first, snorting as she broke down into giggles and smacked Delphine's shoulder. Delphine tried to look insulted but her own grin was threatening to consume her. Leaning her head down, she pressed a kiss to Cosima's forehead, nearly melting at the hum she was rewarded with.

"Really though, we should go make sure he is alright." The gentle worry in Delphine's eyes had Cosima convinced. Nodding, she slipped off of the blonde below her before giving her a hand to help her stand

"Let's make sure wolfboy is alright then."

The open door gave the girls easy access to peek in on Tony behind the shower door, giving each other a worried glance when they noticed he was leaned against the far wall with the water hitting at the base of his neck. Every few seconds his shoulders would roll, trying to get rid of the tension, and he would sigh when it didn't go anywhere.

Cosima frowned slightly, eyes shading with worry as Tony closed his eyes with another long sigh, a short grunt slipping past his lips when he shifted forward.

"He's been working a lot lately," Delphine's voice whispered against Cosima's skin as she leaned close to her ear, an obvious worried tone tinting her words. "with those bodies being carried and the uh lune folie."

Leaning back into Delphine's warmth, Cosima's nodded with a gentle sigh. Her hands came to rest on Delphine's when they linked on her stomach. "He needs to relax. Maybe we should just like have a night in. Tomorrow we can just get the labs ready but other than that we have to wait until those bodies are deemed safe to handle." Shrugging one shoulder, she peeked up at the blonde wolf. "We could go in and get everything set up then come home and relax."

The answering grin Delphine gave her in response was enough to get Cosima's heart fluttering and a light blush splashing across her cheeks. She was enamored with the light happy spark in Delphine's eyes and jumped slightly when she kissed her cheek.

"That sounds perfect, Cosima." Delphine pressed into Cosima's back, squeezing her gently before pulling back a little. "Why don't you go order some food for us and I'll get him out of the shower, yes?"

Cosima smirked, her eyes taking in Delphine's expression as she nodded. "I'll get a little party set up too. Tony would probs appreciate a little high time."

Delphine grinned, nodding with a soft laugh as she backed off enough to let Cosima past her. "We'll be out in a few minutes." The answering wink was all Delphine needed to flush pleasurably, a light pink dusting her cheeks.

As she stepped into the room, Delphine saw Tony sigh slightly, her presence growing slowly closer calming him more than his shower had. He didn't stop her when she opened the shower door and shut the water off, her hand finding his shoulder a moment later.

"Come here."

Tony stepped out of the shower and straight into Delphine's arms, soaking her clothes as he tucked his head into her neck. He took deep breaths, taking in her scent and listening to her heart beat as it pulsed beneath her skin. His wolf called, a wild sort of instinct and need clawing at him from deep inside. Not the shift he controlled but the wolf itself, the beast so normally controlled.

Delphine could sense it, the way his muscles seemed to twitch beneath her hold and his haggard breathing. Her wolf stirred, responding to his emotions. Nuzzling his head, Delphine ran her hands along his back, making soft circles with her nails to try to soothe him. Slowly, she backed up until she could reach a towel, her hands finding purchase and throwing the material around Tony's shoulders.

Looking up at her, Tony tilted his head, his eyes shimmering gold. A low growl rumbled through him at the feel of the towel against his skin and Delphine shushed him, responding with a gentle bark of her own. Her hands ran through his hair, brushing out the tangles already settling in and she fought a smile when he pressed into the touch.

She spent the next few minutes drying him off as best she could, letting him shake his hair out in the shower before she tugged on it a bit.

"Let's get this braided, shall we?"

Tony seemed a little more in control, his eyes showing his human reflection even through the golden color. He nodded, giving her a small smile as he slid on a pair of boxers and an oversized tank top. That felt a little more normal, a little more like he had a hold over his wolf.

Taking his hand, Delphine led him into the living room where Cosima stood looking quite proud of what she'd turned it into. The other two laughed, Delphine's a bright giggle and Tony's a rough bark as he put one hand over his stomach.

The entire couch had been turned into a mass of pillows and blankets while the coffee table held a variety of snacks, movies, and Cosima's box of wonders. Shaking his head slightly, Tony rushed forward and picked Cosima up in a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek as she shrieked in delight as he spun her around in a small circle.

"Thank you."

The two words were whispered but held more emotion than the girls knew what to do with. So they let it be. Instead of pushing for more, they simply curled up on the couch. Delphine sat behind Tony, brushing his hair as she readied it for her to braid as Cosima settled right in his lap with a freshly packed bowl in hand.

The night was spent in comfort, a mass of three bodies tangled together, and a high that lasted well into the morning hours. The apartment filled with love and affection battled away the darkness and demons that waited for them in the labs.

Outside of their world, back in Dyad, Alison was pacing her room as Sarah tried to calm her down. Hood still on her head, she was standing in the doorway completely confused as she tried to decipher what Alison was trying to tell her.

"She should be home, Sarah! It's four in the morning!"

"Yea, I'm well aware of the time, Alison." Rubbing her eyes, Sarah let out a large yawn, trying to wake herself up a bit. "Did you try callin' her? Or seein if the boys saw her leave her station?" The responding glare Alison gave her shut her up as she tried to think of where Beth could have gone. Putting her hands up in surrender, Sarah sighed. "Alright, look, I can get Helena to help me look for her if you really want."

Alison's shoulders relaxed somewhat, a low breath escaping her lips quickly. "I would appreciate it. Thank you."

They didn't hear the approach of heavy paws just outside the door, splashing through the muddy puddles spotted around the yard. Blood dripped down with the rain, a red river in the beasts wake. Wide pale yellow eyes scanned the surrounding area as she panted, chest heaving wildly. Rounding the corner, a loud roar immediately erupted from her muzzle, startling the two before her.

Sarah's eyes shot wide, jaw dropping when she saw Beth loping toward her with a wild look in her eyes. The lioness was bathed in blood and viscera, fangs still dripping as she stalked forward quickly.

"Beth! Stop!" Alison's voice seemed to jolt the lion, paws freezing mid-stride as she turned to look at her. Stepping forward slowly, Alison put a hand out and let out a soft sob when Beth immediately pressed her head into her palm. A low rumble of something close to a purr rang out into the night air as Beth stepped into Alison's space.

"What happened to her?" Sarah was stunned, her heart squeezing in her chest as she watched Alison fall to her knees to hug Beth around the neck. "Why is she all.. Why won't she stand up? She just keeps.. walking like a feral lion." She didn't expect answers, her words were whispered and rough. In all their years together, growing up, Beth had never taken a life. Never had the lioness been covered in blood. Even when on the hunt, Beth only went after small kills or fed off of what Tony and Helena took down. She rarely gave into the lioness inside of her and the sight of her covered in gore was more startling than Sarah ever wanted to admit.

"Take her inside and clean her up, Alison. I'm gonna go find Art." Sarah swallowed thick at the way Alison nodded almost mechanically. She slowly led Beth inside as Sarah watched, her jaw clenching when the door closed behind them. Something was very wrong.

Rolling her shoulders, Sarah let her own animal out of its cage. The shift overtook her easily, the bark of the hyenas laugh escaping her lips as soon as she fell to all fours in the last trembles of the change. As she shook her head, Sarah let the feeling of the air through her short fur settle.

Then she was running, nimble paws carrying her faster than her human legs ever could. Her eyes scanned the paths wildly, her body following the trail Beth had left behind without needing much direction. The red grew thicker as she went, pieces of meat strewn along the grass. A low panicked pull in her stomach hit when she spotted what was part of a human heart, bitten in half and tossed to the side.

The next few feet were splattered with blood and bone, Sarah's paws slowing as she spotted a broken lump just outside the building Beth normally worked in. Scenting the air, her heart stuttered when she smelled something oddly familiar. Slowly, she walked closer to the form, swallowing as she reigned in her beast. The smell of blood called to her, the predatory need to feed always settled just under her skin. She shook it off, instead rushing inside the building.

Inside was just as bad. The walls were splattered with blood, claws marks dug into the equipment on the walls. A chair was shredded, teeth marks as obvious in the leather as the deep scratches in the wood floor.

Sarah dug around until she found a radio that wasn't shredded, a deep sigh escaping her when she realized it still worked. Clumsily putting it to Art's frequency, she pressed the button with her claw and hoped.

"Art? Art, it's Sarah, I need you to answer." Panting into the air as she waited, Sarah groaned when there wasn't an answer right away. Pushing the button again, she let out a loud vocalization followed by a bit of a shout. "Art!"

When she let go, the response was almost immediate.

"Damn, Manning, I'm here. I'm awake. What do you need?" He sounded tired, she obviously woke him up but he also sounded like she had his attention.

"I need you to get down to Beth's station. Something happened, something bad, and I need to see the security tapes."

There was fuzz on the radio, a rustling, and then Art's frantic voice. "Is Beth okay? What happened? Is she okay?"

Sarah sighed, rubbing the side of her muzzle with her paw. Art and Beth had been close ever since they met in high school. They went through training together and she knew Art would do anything to protect Beth. Even if it meant covering up a murder. Dyad would help her, figure out what was wrong, but some of the others inside wouldn't be too keen on helping her if they saw just how badly she'd mauled that body.

"Beth's not hurt." She didn't know how else to put it, remembering the feral glint in the lion's eyes. "Just get down here, Art."

By the time Art arrived, looking ill at the surrounding gore, Sarah was pacing outside the building. She let out a little sound of relief when he approached her, the fur along her spine settling back down.

"I can't tell who this is but I think it might be Paul." Sarah waved a paw at the body crumpled a few feet away. "The face is chewed completely off and most of him is scattered down the path a bit. He smells familiar though, not in a good way." Stepping up to Art, she settled her hands on his shoulders, shaking him a bit to get his eyes to focus. "Beth was covered in blood when she got home to Alison, she looked insane. I need to see the tapes to see what happened here, Art. Then you and me, we gotta clean this mess up. All of it, most of it, I don't care. We gotta get rid of the body parts at least. If we hide the human, we can lie and say Beth went a little wild on a deer we got her and that's why there's so much blood."

Art let out a shaky breath as he nodded, face hardening a moment later. "Lets do this then."

Sarah followed him inside and watched as he fiddled with the equipment, the only sound around them his tinkering and cursing when he saw the wrecked equipment. When he finally turned around to face her, Sarah had shifted back and tossed on some workout clothes she found in Beth's bag still tossed in the back locker.

"I can get two monitors working. The cameras are still up so we have the film but I can't get the audio to work."

"That's fine, I don't think this is something we'll want to hear." Settling in on the floor next to Art, Sarah watched as he backed the film up. They skipped around a bit, Sarah growing worried each time she spotted Beth twitching uneasily at something Paul said or how she seemed to be snarling more and more as time went on.

When they reached the attack, neither of them could believe the carnage happening before them. Paul had been trying to get Beth's attention. She was slumped over in her chair, obviously breathing hard as he spoke. Then he went to grab her shoulder and she exploded. Her body lept off the chair and shifted as she moved, limbs flying out in a flurry of motion. Sarah could almost hear the resounding whisper of a roar when she saw Beth's jaws open on the screen, the terror on Paul's face clear as day in the wake of the sound.

They watched as Beth tore the building apart, watched as she took a bite out of Paul and followed him out the door. She had him pinned on the ground before he made it ten feet out the door, her claws ripping him to shreds as she chewed at his face.

Sarah hoped he died quick as she saw just how much damage Beth did, though the steady twitch of his body never stopped until she had taken off down the path with his heart held between her teeth.

Art turned the video off as soon as Beth was off screen, his hands trembling as he turned to Sarah.

"What do we do?"

"Well she's with Alison right now and she turned into a kitten when she saw her so I think we're safe for the time bein."Sarah let out a long sigh, closing her eyes as she steeled herself. "We need to clean up all the parts that look human and try to get rid of as much blood as possible. I'll talk to the guys and tell them that somethins wrong with Beth. We can explain the blood and the damage in here away but we can't explain Paul. We need to hide all evidence of her being the cause of his death."

"They'll look for him won't they?" Art was worried, rightfully so, and Sarah looked at him with a shrug.

"I don't know. He came here cause no one else would hire him. I don't think he has anyone outside of the security crew and even then, no one really liked the bastard. We can always say that he stole somethin and took off. No one would be surprised, we can worry about that later really." Sarah didn't really care how they explained Paul away. The boy had gone through the end year of training with the others then disappeared for a while. When he returned the previous year, Leekie had agreed to hire him on the security team. No one here would worry too much if he ran off again.

They both jumped when Beth's phone sounded from her bag, loud in the sudden quiet of the room. Sarah scrambled over to grab it, immediately answering when she saw Alison was calling.

"Alison? Are you okay? Is Beth okay?" Her voice was a little frantic, her anxiety impossible to completely hide.

"Sarah, I need you to get back here." Alison's voice trembled softly, a little sniffle sounding a moment later. "She won't change back, I can't get her to change back. I remember you got Helena to change back when she came home, I need your help with this." Sarah could hear the impending breakdown in Alison's voice and her heart broke a little when she realized how brave she was being for Beth. The need to protect rose up violently in her, her eyes slowly glowing red as she looked at Art. "Just get here, please."


End file.
